Countdown Till Launch
by Tibricel Tibby
Summary: There are only 144 day until launch and it is her job to help balance the combat system before then. Menolly was recruited for her gaming prowess to be the Lead Combat Mechanic Developer or as the Team calls her, SAO's Weapons Master. But over the coarse of the development SAO are both Kayaba and Menolly developing more then just a game? Kayaba X OC (NO COPY RIGHT IMPLIED.)
1. 144 Days Till Launch

/ 144 Days Ago…

/ Game Version: 0_1_337_Alpha_Build_ver42 (Code Name: Double Double Cherry)

_"Skill analyses complete." _Came the somber voice.

"I'm sorry that skill at this level is way to strong. Make a note CALClito, consider raising Purge Blade skill by ten levels, or maybe drop skills effectiveness by around twenty percent."

_Gee the dev team put way too much power into some of the skills._

"So what do we have next on the check list?" I turned back to look at the small baseball sized silver sphere floating only about a meter away. The little sphere floated a little closer taking up position just to my right hovering at head level.

_"That is all for the day Miss Zero, we need only to sync our findings with the Cardinal for review."_

I nodded and took one last look around the plains area CALClito and stood in and smiled. I had always loved gaming when I was younger, I didn't have many friends then. It was hard living in a country that you were not born in. My mother was in the US Air Force and her duty station was in Japan, so I was military brat, but unlike most I made an effort to learn about the lands I was living in. To the language was no problem for me these days, but I don't think my mother ever expected me to stay when she retired. It was just before I was starting my last year of high school. She wasn't upset, and relented with very little protest. Then again it wasn't like she or I had any family other than each other, both her parents had past and she had no family, and my father had no family. He himself had died when I was only four, and the wreck almost took me with him.

The wind started picking up and I looked to the setting sun. I pulled a few strands of virtual white hair out of my face curling it instinctively behind my ear. This would was virtual, it wasn't real. The sights, smells, soreness from taking a hit were all simulated. Even so the joy of accomplishment, of seeing something new and the thrill of exploration, adventure that was all real, you can't fake that.

"I guess we should call it a day then, go ahead and start syncing the date with my terminal I'll be there in just a moment."

_"At once miss." _Replied CALClito in his best human sounding voice, a ripple of color flashed across the sphere, and then just as quickly was returned back its not reflective silver color. Then the sphere winked out of existence as I looked on to the distance again.

I switched classes becoming a Lancer; the armor was lighter, but allowed for much greater movement. While my strength was not as great as a Lancer my dexterity and reaction time was superb. That was something that I had complained about on several reports, the fact that dexterity would play a greater role in say a characters ability to jump just didn't set right with me but I was over.

_Truthfully be told I'm glad, dexterity is my highest stat, so the acrobatics I can do where amazing."_

I started to run, the grass was passing me so fast, I wanted to take one last crack at the rare spawn here on this level, it was still work just need to test it out. It was as good an excise as any, I reached the coastline in just a few minutes. In the distance I saw my target, the rare spawn the working title for the quest was (I Just) Died in Your Six Arms Tonight. I thought it worked well seeing as this was a large crab you had to fight. Old Crabby was the working name for him and he only appeared at sun down, I really shouldn't have been taking it on my own but I was at present ten levels higher then him.

Not to mention I really wanted to play more with my Lancer Acrobatics Skills. When I was about ten meters away I leapt to the air well over anything human in the real world could, and drew my Lance activating a skill as I feel head first towards my target.

"Spineshatter Dive!"

I have no idea why I always screamed my class specials but it just seemed like the thing to do, it's what people in anime and movies did so just a good example of how fantasy imitates reality or was it fantasy imitating fantasy?

As the force of the fire like explosion vanished and swiftly I pushed off my Lance jumping back several meters away, just as a large claw swiped where I had just been. I landed on one hand and sprang back a few more meters then stood ready. Crabby was tall, probably over three meters and he was pissed off.

I had to grin, this was what I lived for, the thrill of the challenge myself. I went back in, dodging left with a hard thrust to one of the legs. Again and again I dodged each time working up more, getting faster, jumping higher. Granted it couldn't hit me not as long as I watched what I was doing but at this rate I was never going to kill it unless I wanted to spend all night whittling away on it.

"So this is what's taking you so long." The voice caught me off guard and that momentary distraction is all it took. My head whipped to the side to see Akihiko standing there in his usual full plate armor. Then I felt the impact as I was slammed to the ground eating a mouthful of dirt. I quickly rolled over to see the claw coming my way, but then he was there standing over me shield raised. There was a large clang as Crabby's claw impacted Akihiko's shield and I had to smile.

"My knight in shining armor." I said with a smile, most would never notice it from his monotone face but I saw the slightest twitch of a grin as he looked down at me. All too quickly it was gone and he simply shook his head. I rolled back wards tumbling and righting myself, Lance ready as he too jumped back and taking to my left flank.

"You do know we have been working on the stats of the rare spawns bosses right?"

"I did notice that he did seem a little Crabbier than usual." There was no response and I couldn't look at his face because I knew it would be one of distance in my very sad since of humor. "Just means that I need a partner to take him down." Then I did look and the slight grin returned and he nodded and dashed toward the Crab and the two met half way.

A shield bash and he was stunned, Akihiko took advantage of the moment and attacked the closest leg while I went to work on the opposite leg.

"Look out!" Akihiko shouted.

Crabby was really living up to his name sake. He had started to skitter in my direction, instantly I jumped backwards doing a hand plant then jumping back farther. Akihiko came to my side.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Let do it!" I said taking off a step behind him as he raced toward the Crab. He lead in with a shield bash, the followed through with heavy upwards slash exposing the monsters underbelly.

"Switch!" Quickly our positions were reversed. "Doom Spike!"

My strike was true and within an instant that was it Crabby was down with a digital poof. I turned to look at my boss, this time with a real gentle smile on his face. I cheered a little and then walked over to him giving him my usual thumbs up and he just shook his head.

"So I take it your don't playing around now?" He asked.

"Sorry I forgot we were in a game," I teased. "can't be playing around here this is super serious." He just chuckled, as long as I had known Akihiko, which was really a little over a year I had never seen him smile or laugh around anyone other than myself. I would be lying if I said it didn't make me feel special. It did.

"Come along Menolly it's getting late and you have been logged in all day. You shouldn't over work yourself."

"Yes, sorry. I'll try and remember to take better care of myself." I said, thinking about it now I had missed taking my medication and hour ago. Dang it. "Let's teleport and log on this floor here for the night."

"Yes."

We both accessed our administration interface and teleported to the local towns inn. After a moment of scrolling through the menu I found the logout command and after a kaleidoscope of light I was back in my office at Argus.

Unlike most people that wanted to work for Argus I was recruited. You see while I am a decent programmer I was not brought on for programing I was brought on because I was a gamer. For years I would play games, any game I could get my hands on really, it was only later that I was able to start going to competitions and gaming professionally. My mother frowned on my profession, but it was my passion. I couldn't stop I loved it, so that's what I did and I was good at it. For over four years professional gaming was my life and then I met Akihiko. He came to me and asked if I wanted to keep playing games or if I wanted to make new worlds.

At first I was skeptical, but after speaking with him for a while we both learned of each other's passions for games, but in truth for a game that surpassed all others, a game that you didn't just play but a game you lived. A quick taste of what he had to offer and I was hooked. That's all it took to get me on board.

One of my fondest memories, my title at Argus is Lead Developer of Combat Mechanics and System Balancing, but what it really boiled down to was I was setting that base level of all skills for combat and test out the raid group balancing so that Cardinal knows how players might react. Today was the last test of many of the combat skill systems. Meaning now I have paper work to start on tomorrow.

I sighed, I really hated all the paper work but that was just part of the job. I removed my NerveGear and felt a little better as I recalled that next week I would be testing the Raid's to make sure that bosses were beatable or to balance them a little more.

I sat my NerveGear on the table beside my desk and looked up at the computer screen, the small silver glowing sphere was bouncing on the desk top.

_Great CALClito was going to be miffed that I had taken so long to log out._

I reached over and turned on the speaker and immediately I head the little AI chastise me for making him wait.

_Not that he needed to._

"Hello CALClito have you uploaded the date to Cardinal yet?"

"No I have not. I do wish you would carried me along on your little side mission it could have provided invaluable information. I would like to run analysis the data from today using the mainframe but I am waiting in the queue. It will be later tonight when I can process it. I will have it for you first thing in the morning." The little 3D sphere flashed a few colors then returned to its none reflective silver.

I pinched the bridge of my nose followed by a good old rubbing of my eyes. I do need to spend less time in there. I leaned my chair forward from it more reclined position and stretched my arms. There came a knock at my door and standing there with his gentle grin was Akihiko.

"So the Weapons Master of SAO is finally awake." I chuckled at my unofficial title.

"Good day Akihiko-senpai." I smiled back obviously much brighter then him. In the game I had gotten him to smile and even chuckle, but here in the real world. Never.

"Well Springfield-san, it seems that you have not left yet." Well duhh we just killed a rare spawn less than ten minutes ago. "Nor did log out for lunch—Neither did I."

I know I must have had a dumb look on my face but did Akihiko just ask me to go to dinner with him. I was swoon, I didn't know I could swoon. He was a few years older than me five to be specific, and I would be lying if I said that I did not like him but I always assumed that our playful banter never really meant anything.

_Is this really happening?_

"Yeah!, I mean yes sir I would love to. Like too! I um sure, sure." I looked at him after my prattling and he smiled. He smiled, I flicked my hand and no menu appeared, I was still in the real world he is really smiling at me.

"Good, I was worried you might have to get home since it's so late." I shook my head as I reached over and grabbed my purse setting it in my lap. I reached around the sides of my chair and unlocked the wheels, then rolling my way to the door to me Akihiko as he stood back to let me through the door and he walked beside me as I pushed the wheels of my chair and we reached the elevator.

That was one thing that I had always liked about Akihiko, he never tried to overly 'help me' out like most of the team did. You see I was paralyzed from the waist down when I was young, the same day that my father died. So games were my outlet to the world, I couldn't get out as much as a kid and mom was always working on the base so it was what really thrilled me. It happened at such a young age that I can't really remember what it was like to walk in the real world, to not be restricted by my chair.

_But in SAO I can outrun the wind._

That's how he got me, I logged on to the demo land scape for the NerveGear and that was all it took, I was hooked, it was exciting, invigorating, and best of all. I was free.

"So what would you like to eat? I know a pretty good Ramen shop nearby." He asked.

"Hmm ramen sounds great, I wonder if they have a bowl with crab?"

* * *

><p><strong>Fun Facts:<strong>

** (I Just) Died in Your Six Arms Tonight**

The quest the Menolly refers to a real FATE Quest in FFXIV with the same name.

** Zero / Menolly**

In SAO she is known as Zero, for player Zero. While people at Argus have played the levels that were in development Menolly became the first player that started the closed in house only Alpha test phase.

She is the only American on the development team (That I know of.) and has lived her whole life in Japan where here mothers duty station was. She speaks perfect Japanese as a native and English thought she does have an accent when speaking English.

** CALClito (CALK 'Lie ' tow)** is an acronym for a tactical data gathering AI that Menolly developed to help her judge and balance the character skills and the coming raid bosses and mobs. It stands for:

_Computational _

_Algorithm_

_Leveling_

_Consultant and_

_limited_

_interaction_

_tactical _

_operator_

Also sometimes called CALC for short, and by other development team members as it's hard for some to say. CALC is also the program name for the calculator in the Windows OS with the .exe removed.

CALClito cannot interact with the world but can gather data on what is happening much like Yui can analysis the data fee d in SAO. However CALClito tends to make suggestions on strategy and what a person might do against monsters, but this is only useful after he has enough data to analyze. Veritable also on the number of players, attacks used, skill level, and actions taken by both the players and the monster.

**Software Version Info**

0_1_337_Alpha_Build_ver42 (Code Name: Double Double Cherry)

The is meant to translate to '_leet_' (1337)

The code name _Double Double Cherry_ is one of the first sugar free mixes of Cool Aid

* * *

><p>Well that's that, I hope you enjoyed and it wasn't too boring of a read. I'm not sure if I will do more at the moment as I need to finish two other stories right now, but maybe after the first of the year. If I do I might open this story up to collaboration with others or asked for people to submit some more OC's for the story as when the SAO Beta launches I will need some other people rather than just the Main cast thought I would expect to meet them later and get involved with them some.<p>

Well drop me a review and let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

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Do it.

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	2. 98 Days Till Launch

/ 98 Days Ago…

/ Game Version: _Alpha_Build_ver12 (Code Name: Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade)

The day had been pretty normal for the Akihiko Kayaba the director of Sward Art Online, the team meeting this morning had gone well and they had plans to implement the newest build to the live production mainframe overnight. With this new build they would be adding in the new interaction system and the final build of the user interface that would be in the game. He himself had dedicated the last few weeks personally putting the finished touches on the 100th floor of Aincrad, his castle.

All the while he worked on the castle that had been his passion for so long he thought of the new passion that was becoming just as important. Over the last month both he and Menolly had gone out a several more time, not counting eating lunch together, he felt a since of pride that he was getting to know her. It had taken almost a year to build nerve to ask her to the impromptu dinner the first time.

Then last week when, asked if he would like to join her in her after hours work, which turned into them questing together, then just enjoying a walk through the trails on the 22nd floor. She had told him that it was her second favorite place in the world, her first being the 49th floor, because it was always snowing there. Indeed their relationship was blossoming, and she liked him loved the world that was being built. When he was there he felt free of earthly limitations, he felt as though anything was possible, and there within the world of Aincrad it was. Having Menolly there with him just made it all better. There was no down side to falling for her, they both seemed to share a vision of escaping from this world.

Akihiko Kayaba stood from his desk returning the world that lay before him. It had been a very productive day but now it was time to go home for the day. He wouldn't be able to see Menolly today unfortunately, though they did have plans to meet tomorrow after their panel at the convention.

He surveyed his desk gathering a few items he would need for tomorrows presentation, leaving his office he turned off the light and made is way down the hall but as he passed the main control floor what would be the hub of all SAO operation he noticed that the lights were still on as well as the large monitors higher up on the wall. Normally this would not have been anything out of the ordinary but something nagged at the back of Kayaba's mind. Swipped his access card he entered to find a lone tech sitting at a terminal reading a book.

The tech's name eluded him but one thing he did notice on the tech screen were commands flying by one after the other. The male tech turned to see him and stood in greeting, but he paid the man no mind.

He was implementing the update, but not like was protocol. He was running the update directly to the mainframe from the command line. Normal updates should be submitted to Cardinal, then Cardinal would verify them for their consistency then, issue a mandatory logout for all players. The reason being the new content could make areas of the levels drop out of existence and not to mention when and update was run it disabled the safety systems and user controls.

So anyone still logged in would not be forcedly ejected, have no way to get out on their own and the NerveGear safety systems would be disabled. Meaning that sever nerve damage could occur to anyone if they were her in the game. The NerveGear would disable the limiters, while ne knew this it was not something that he wanted to be know now..

"Ah Director how..." Kayaba was out of his thoughts and on the man in an instant.

"What is the meaning of this?" The younger man was about to speak but was again cut off at the somber rage that the older director was directing at him. "This is not part of the standard operating procedure. Can you explain to me why the mainframe is being upgraded in this manner? What's your name?"

The younger man swallowed hard knowing that he had caused a grievous error with the director and steadied himself before speaking.

"The Cardinal sometimes does not like the updates, I mean there are things that have to be corrected so that Cardinal will implement it. So sometimes rather than staying all night trying to find that one thing that would more than likely be patched out in a day or two anyway. I'll sometimes just run the update directly. Its ok sir I checked everything before starting, no one was logged in and I executed a admin master logout before starting." Well maybe he was not as incompetent as he thought but still this was not procedure, this would defiantly be addressed at the next team meeting.

He looked to his watch again, it was getting late and he and the tech were no doubt the only people in the building other than security.

"We will be discussing procedures at the team meeting Thursday, but after this you will perform mainframe updates as they should be. There is a reason that we have the procedure as they are, Cardinal has the best interest of the SAO infrastructure and the players in mind." He let it sink in be for speaking, finishing his thought.

"Is that understood?"

"Yes sir, director." Said the younger man prostrating himself for his error.

Without another work Kayaba turned to leave he made it to the door as he hear the tech mutter something about no one even being here right now that would be logged in to the game. Something about that statement nagged at him, just as a percousion he dropped by her office on the way to the elevator even though it was not near the elevator. No one was there and the light was off, he smiled slightly, that secret smile he saved only for her. He would see her tomorrow, they were going to have dinner tomorrow night after the convention.

(/ﾟДﾟ)/

Well this day was beginning to suck, started out pretty good, but then there was a data corruption in the mainframe so all the data that CALClito had collected on the last two raids we did would have to be redone. I decided since I would be pulling a late nighter I would leave a little early get something to eat then return to the office. I might not get both raid completed but maybe I could get at least one done before they kicked me out of the building.

I went over to my desk and sat the to-go box down of what was left of my okonomiyaki dinner, it would have been better if the other half had not landed in my lap after another patron at the tumbled into my table. I glanced over to the clock on my desk, 2115 hours. I have time I can hit up the first raid, I have the strategy down so it should be pretty quick.

_Who am I kidding I'll just use my spare set of clothes I keep here and leave here in the morning for the convention. _

"Looks like it's a whore bath in the wash room tomorrow." I said aloud to no one. One of my mother's little saying for when you had little time to shower properly.

I began getting my NervGear ready, making sure to load up my settings from the previous scenario for the floors boss strategy then I was ready. Lean back and get comfy then ready to go.

"Link Start!"

The kaleidoscope of lights enveloped me as and for a little bit it was like falling but with on air rushing around me it was an odd little fall. I landed just outside of the raid area, before me was a large towering mountain. The story behind this raid was pretty simple really even though getting to it was not. The run down was, there was a dragon that lived in the keep, and he had ran the inhabitance of the keep out, and now it was time to take it back.

This was just the lead up the main plot that started at floor 83 and continued till the end of the game where players had the rest control of the world from the God King yda yda yda, you get the idea.

I looked at my brave Blood Knight Legion, truthfully my NPC guild was kind of lacking I designed there knight uniforms with a almost Red Cross feel to them, mostly white with hints of red, but I decided that my own uniform would be my usual Red with my light silver armor.

_I'm the guild leader, I can dress differently than my troops._

The raids were fun but would be much better when we had real people playing rather than my NPC army. People could think and screw up, my NPC's could only interact using the stratagems that I had programed into them or thought strategy's programed through CALClito.

I gave my troops orders as we advanced and grinding through the trash mobs it would take up about forty minutes to get to the boss room.

(ง •̀_•́)ง

My men were plowing through the dungeon pretty well better since last time and I had a better lay of the land. We only lost two guys and they were nothing Thief skilled any way. This dungeon didn't really requite that type of player as it was pretty straight forward, there was a dragon here and you have to fight it. We were just outside of the boss room I called up CALClito so that he could assist with coordinating the NPC army and record the data. While CALClito could not directly intervene in the world he could control NPC's that were put under his control. I turned to my army with a grin and smiled.

"Alright lady's get ready this is it. Dress rehearsal for hell and all that business. Not all of you will make it out of here alive, but that's ok I'll just re-spawn you later if we have to reset the fight.," I posed for dramatic effect, even though there would be no talking back from any of the NPC's. Though CALC spoke up then.

"Shall I have then cheer you one?" I looked at the little silver sphere and nodded. Within seconds my knights were cheering as I continued on.

"I don't plan on holding your hands lady's so stay sharp, focus and by al means lets do this in one run because I want to go to sleep at a decent hour.!" Again cheers rose up like thunder and I motion my brave cannon fodder forward. "Ok are you ready CALC I really would like to get this over with and go to sleep.'

"Yes Miss I shall do my best as your brave Blood Knights to assist you in battle so that we may win the day."

"Alright then let's do this."

(・ω・；)

The fight was going well, but still I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, I had taken a hit just a moment ago and I had to say that it hurt, I mean like really hurt, and was still hurting. That wasn't right, the pain shouldn't still remain after I healed it. CALClito was also having issue with my Blood Knights, there response time was sluggish but then so was the great dragon we were fighting. I had thought about just ending the fight and logging out to see what was going on, the data from the fight was a loss any way with the way things were bugging up but continued.

The boss was well below 10% health so I figured we so it seemed like finishing was just as easy as ending. That is until the world fell out from under me and my Knights, we were falling.

_The hell!_

I panicked, this wasn't part of the raid, this was all wrong. Bad this is bad I though as gravity started to catch up with me, the world below was just darkness and I was freaked out beyond belief. Quickly I enacted my system menu, and prepared to teleport out, but to my surprise I was out of crystals, a silent curse escaped me. Its ok it's just a game logout and find out what the hell is going on, this is the most screwed up bug ever.

Then if possible my stomach started falling faster than me, the logout function was disabled, it was grayed out.

_This is a nightmare._

It was like literal nightmare come to life I was falling and with no way of stopping myself I didn't know what was happening, I couldn't logout, and taking a second look I had no admin privileges. Just as my mind was running though scenarios on what I could do, the list was short, I hear above a loud roaring sound and felt instance heat near me.

_The Dragon!_

He was in full dive and coming right as some of my falling knights, they were below me but far enough away that he wouldn't becoming for me yet. Not one to give up I leaned forward and began diving too but not as fast as he was.

Closer... only a few meters away.

Closer... I could almost touch his long tail.

Almost...There.

I tightened my dive more as I activated an ability.

"Power Surge!" I screamed activating my ability to increase me damage on my special attacks. The dragon was too preoccupied with its targets to pay me any mind as I slammed into his back with a shrill scream.

"Dragonfire Dive!" I cried, I didn't know what was going on, I didn't know if the building was on fire around me, or if the world was coming to an end but I knew one thing in that moment of falling into the bottomless abyss we were in. I was going to kill that damn dragon. I glanced at my opponents bar, less than 7% hp, the dragon for his part was quick to recover and notice the new person that was on his back and I was taken aback at the fury there in his eyes.

_Oh good I pissed it off and have nowhere to run._

I jumped letting the wind catch me, as the dragon fell below but he would be back I was sure of that, he had wings. I did not.

Sure enough he was turning and looking incredulously up at me. If I were to admit it this was starting to be fun, I mean really it was fun. That is until the world returned to us and far below I could see the ground, we had fallen through the floor.

_The pain..._

The horror of realization was fresh in my mind, I had only taken a grazing blow and it hurt like hell, granted it were in the real world I would have lost my leg. But if I hit the ground how bad was that going to hurt. As if to answer my question, I came back to the world around me just in time to dodge the dragons claws, but it was not close enough and the tip of his rear claw slashed me across the face as I rolled and he passed.

I streaked with pain, this shouldn't be happening this was to much pain. The system shouldn't be able to cause this kind of pain, I tried to open my right eye but it was just a blur, and the pain at the light came back full force. The burning in the right side of my face was excruciating as the dragon roared with triumph I turned to see him coming and I think a part of realized that I was going to die if I hit the ground.

If the pain in my eye was any indication, but if I was going to die in a freaking game I was taking that dragon with me. Gritting my teeth and waited.

_Come to me you big bantered! Come and get me. Come and get me.._

"Come and get me!" I opened my arm rocketing up above my descending foe, the thrust forward plunging my spear into the dragons eye. He took my eye, so I take his.

_An eye for an eye._

We were still falling but the dragon was silent as I rode him to my demise I looked at the loot list with a one eye grin.

_Oh look a new lance... an orange lance, I get a legendary weapon when I'm quite possibly about to die. That's par for the coarse._

I had hoped I would get that spear once I saw it on the drawing Yoki, the lead Weapons Designers sketch pad. Its drop was random, very random like once in a life time random and here I was about to maybe die in a freaking game. How dumb did that sound.

The ground was almost there, we were about to see if this was all the game or just a nightmare I was going to walk up from but the pain I'm my eye said otherwise.

Out of nowhere a Knight approached me falling along beside me, and in his hand was a teleport crystal and then from his lips came CALClito's voice.

"Menolly!" He shouted as he slowly came closer to me his arm outstretched with the crystal. "Take it! There is a problem with the system, the limiters are turned off you have to teleport to town now!"

The limiters were off, no. My breath seized in my thought, that way the pain was so much more, that's why my eye hurt. No time for fear now, I reached and my finger grazed the crystal and then they were around it, the world below was so close. I could see the road in the field.

My hands were around the crystal and its blue glow stared to light up my face and then the wind stopped and I took only a small tumble as I gently hit the hard stone ground. I was face up and above me there was snow falling, people were bustling around town, well NPC's were doing there preprogramed jobs.

"Menolly, Menolly are you ok?" cam the concerned voice of CALC as I lay on the cold ground and snow.

"No something is wrong with my right eye, it still hurts and I can't see out of it anymore."

"Just moment I'll summon up a Blood Knight and get you indoors."

True to his word, he did and carried me to an inn and for the night CALC took care of me. I was trapped here I couldn't call up my admin console in my menu, and I couldn't log out. The admin terminals in game were not ready yet so there was no way to over right the personal terminal with GM terminal in game because they didn't exist yet.

I was stuck in SAO, and until whatever was happening on the outside was over or until someone on the outside forced a logout I was trapped.

( ≧Д≦)

Even after a few hours and the CALClito controlled NPC healing me my eye still hurt and I couldn't see out of it, it was strange. Something had happened, god only knows what, my imagination ran wild with wonder, had the system crashed, was I having some type of heath problem and if so was I slowly dying? I don't know how long I lay there in the inn but it was some time later when the Blood Knight NPC came back in with some food for me.

Granted it would not really nourish my body but it would mental placate my taste buds. Just like the real world it was warm, it tasted good and it gave me a since of fullness even though it was all just virtual data that the NervGear translated into neural impulses that would tell my brain that it tasted good, like chicken mostly, and its taste was pretty good.

_What, what? WHAT?_

"I have to get out of here." I'm getting claustrophobic and I don't know what's going on.

"Miss Menolly if you are still in pain then I suggest you stay as you are. With your sight affected as it is your effectiveness in battle is greatly diminished. I estimate by a ratio of 45% and minimum."

Lovingly or as loving ly as I could I reached up and crossed the floating silver sphere like I could a person's face.

"I'm just going outside, my leg doesn't really hurt anymore and I can't sit here all night." I stood and left the inn, outside the inn it was cold and snowing. I always loved the snow, I guess because it made me thing happy thoughts. There wasn't any special meaning behind it really, I just felt lighter with the cool breeze and the snow was gently coming down.

I walked around for at least an hour and the cold was starting to get to me, CALC and his Blood Knight NPC followed just behind me like a loyal watch dog. The sun was setting when we left the inn, and now it had set and the moon was bright in the sky above as the gentle snow fell on the world.

I just wanted to get my mind off of what was going on, I couldn't log out, I couldn't access any menu other than the most basic's like inventory, character and armory. As I passed a shop I looked in and stopped. In our walk I had somewhat been window shopping, I'm a girl I do like to shop, but in this shop there was a head mannequin with an eye patch, this wouldn't have been so symbolic to me till I really paid attention to my own reflection in the mirror.

_My eye is red._

Not like sensed so hard that I popped a blood vessel, were talking about orb of blood red. I looked like I had a blood red marble for an eye, it was... disturbing.

_What the hell is happening? This is not part of the game._

This can't happen, unless there is a nerve abnormality between me and the NervGear. I had noticed that I tended to drift to the left when I was walking and the blind spot in my normal vision had been difficult to get over in such a short time.

I steeled by nerves and my pride as I broke for the ghostly image I was casting in the story front. I almost kicked the door open to the small shop as the female NPC standing behind the counter looked at us.

"Good day travelers, how might I help you today?"

"I need an eye patch." I said sternly. As the shop keeper busied about the shop and lead us to her small stock of leather looking eye patches. I was never a vain person but if a real person were to see this it would look horrific, and if it was here then that meant it was in the real world as well. I just sighed as I selected a black one.

"Would you like it mildly customized Miss? I am able to put symbols or crests perhaps."

I really didn't care about that I just didn't want to see the horrid looking thing if I didn't have too. I was really happy the NPC's were not programmed to be more talkative and she could not ask me about my eye.

"Sure put the symbol for Dragon on it." Might as well it was a dragon that took my eye.

_No this isn't real it's just a game, it will be fine when I get out of here."_

Only a moment later the shop keeper handed me my eye patch and we left the shop. I was starting to get tired now and it had been a long day and I could really use a warm soak in the tub. CALC and I returned to the inn and got a room and made my way to the indoor spring. One of the greatest things about this game is the hot springs, there was a lot of drama about including baths in the game. Some thought that once the game went live worldwide that it was be very controversial so it might not be in the other country's versions of the game.

_Thank goodness I live in japan._

After my bath and my time to think I returned to the room, I had never slept in the game even though the system allowed for it. Although there was talk of an auto log out function planned for if your brain waves went into R.E.M. sleep.

_But not yet._

So much was left to finish in the game and part of me wondered if we would finish in time. I lay in the bed and looked out the window. CLAC floated just in front of the fire place with his NPC standing at the door like a good little NPC.

I tried to access the admin menu once more and then the log out function but again there was nothing. I was staying the night until someone on the outside was able to help me. But how long will that take? It was Friday, and we had that convention panel tomorrow but would any one think to check for me at the office? Would Kayaba think to look at the office or would he even look, he knew I didn't really want to go to the event.

Letting my hand drop from the air and the menu blink out of existence I closed my eyes and soon I was asleep.

(／_^)／ ● ＼(^_＼)

Akihiko Kayaba had not had a good day, and if truth be told it had been a bad weekend. All of this badness had stemmed from his lack of contact with one of his team. Specifically Menally, she should have been at the convention and had a panel, but she didn't show. This he had expected, Menally had never really like crowd's and felt as if she was inconveniencing people due to her wheel chair. So he was not surprised when she did not show up much to the chagrin of the audience.

Though when she had not shown up for dinner that night, the two had been planning it all week and his girlfriend seemed excited about it, though they were not a couple, at least they had never called their relationship as such he had hoped it would have changed over dinner.

To say he was a disappointed, it did fluster him that he could not reach her on her mobile. he tried not to let it bother him, she was a strong willed person and maybe something came up that he was unaware of.

That had to be it, he Akihiko had never met her mother but he knew she was retired and live only a few hours out of the city, perhaps her health was no what it should be. Yes that had to be it, his self-created explanation had to be it. he would see her on Monday and they would both have a laugh about it over lunch.

But just in case he would call her once more before dinner.

(╯°Д°）╯︵/(.□ . )

Monday came and still no call, text or anything from Menally. To say that Akihiko Kayaba was feeling worried was an understatement. He had played the past time they had been together out in his mind looking for anything that he might have done to deserve the cold shoulder but nothing stood out. Granted he was not the most sociable person outside of the office be he had always put his best foot forward when he was around Menally.

Walking through the lobby of the building was usual, a casual hello to Machi, the early AM security guard then the 2 minuet elevator ride to his floor. Stop by the employ break room to start a pot of coffee, he was the first person here so it fell on him to get the daily brew going.

Then he was there, at his desk ready to review last week's updates and logs from the latest update to SAO. A few of the early morning techs stopped by just long enough to say hello as he looked over the logs from the update. Finding that a few bugs had occurred, no doubt due to the uncharacteristic way they were implemented and not verified beforehand.

The first order of business at the 10 AM meeting this morning. They were all going to get a good speech about slandered operating procedures. Akihiko removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, they were so close to finishing but so far, his goal, his dream was in reach and soon he would have his castle.

Just not soon enough he though as he stood. The coffee should be ready now and he needed a cup desperately.

Returning to the break room he band preparing his morning coffee, 3 spoons of sugar and one scream. Akihiko would never admit it but he did have a profession for sweats, he had a feeling that Menally was close to figuring this out but he had not mentioned it on any of their outings, nor had he tried to cover it up.

Taking a look at his watch it was time to check on the control room staff, he would make a mental note to try and catch Menally before the meeting, as good as she was at her job she was the world's worst about getting to the office by 8 AM. Usually rolling in, literally, about 9 to 930. her lack of arrival time was all ways made up by how late she would work though.

Upon entering the control room there were several tech gathered around a termal all talking heatedly about something. Probably the failed update they would have to spend the fay fixing and re-implement.

"What's going on?" Kayaba asked. All eyes turned to meet the eyes of the director of SAO and slightly paled as if they had done something wrong, well only one of them had done anything wrong, but he did not seem to be here in this group.

"Director, yes there seems to be an issue with all administrator access, all admin access has been revoked and there is now a bug in the user menu interface. Only the basic settings are there inventory, character info skills etc."

Great now there was more work to be done to fix the menu system, something that was complete.

"The real issue director is that there is a user logged in, and until we have admin control again they can't log out. We were about the issue a mass log out but we don't have access."

The director of SAO was moving even before the tech finished speaking, within minutes he was at a terminal, his hands flying over the keys using his root access to find out what had happened and more importantly to confirm a fear that was building in the back of his mind.

Mass commands were offline, so executing a mass logout was not an option, so then he set to work on restoring the basic menu structure so that a user would have access to the logout command. The task was not hard but even the twenty minuets that it took seemed like a life time.

With that take done he then navigated the system to see who is logged in, but even before the system brought up the requested data, he knew.

Knew, that it was Menally.

Within seconds his fear was confirmed. Menally the lone user had been logged in for the past fifty-nine hours, was currently on the 55th floor, her favorite floor he mind recalled. She liked the snow and if he recalled correctly that was where her guild hall was, in the town up in the mountains.

Quickly he was out of the control room and down the hall, then turn right, then a left, past a conference room, then the door on the right the door to her office.

The world came back to focus and he was standing in her office, the lights in the room were on, but the sun light flitting through the windows blanketed Menally as she lay back in here chair, the NervGear on and link active.

His eyes took in every inch of her form; never had his face showed the emotion of horror until this moment when he registered the dried red staining the otherwise pristine face of one Menally Springfield.

( ó㉨ò)ﾉ

Two whole days, I have been stuck in a game that I helped create for two–whole-days. I would complain more but really the only thing I've missed out on was having dinner with Kayaba. Disregarding the building worry of what had happened to cause my current circumstances.

_I'm still banking on aliens._

After staying the night in town, with my ever vigilant nurse made CALC, whom I threatened to remove his speech module and make text only if he told me my efficiency one more time. Still controlling his Blood Knight NPC and watching intently as I practiced.

After stopping my worrying and a little self-loathing I had decided it was time to get back in the game. Pardon the pun but I was doing what I could in a bad situation.

Namely I had no sight from my right eye, and in a game like SAO that was a big disadvantage.

_Goodness knows CALClito would not shut up about my, 'low effectiveness'. _

Currently I was in the training hall of the Blood Knights guild hall. One of the perks of being a dev was that I had a virtually limitless about of expendable income. But truthfully I didn't need it I just got the full spoils from all the raids that my Blood Knights fought in.

I shook my head as CALClito started speaking to me his silver spherical body floating directly in front of me with a rainbow ripple of color.

"What? Sorry I wasn't paying attention."

"I said that your efficiency has steadily increased, and you are now broaching 78%."

"Thanks CALC."

I had thrown myself into training, trying to overcome my in game physical hindrance. It was just something that had to be overcome.

CALC floated over to the side and again I nodded as the training room spawned the 'monsters' that I had to defeat. I raced forward, a slash here, then a jump dive and a repost, avoiding a close call and I dispatched my enemies, one by one they fell before me, until I heard something to my right, followed swiftly by a pang in my side.

As I tumbled to the side and looked to where the hit came from, I heard it but didn't act fast enough. I was so use to relying on my sight but even after two days of work I was getting better but not good enough. The first few runs had been really bad, no longer having any depth perception was the worst, and I tended to drift to the left now.

_This will not stop me. I will not let this keep me down._

I rolled out of the way, as a metal clanged on the ground to my right where I was only seconds ago. With one swift movement I was back up and my lance was whirling to the left catching the humanoid monster in the back. Unlike me he didn't make it to the ground, I was on him in an instant and my lance was through him in an instant.

I was in the zone now and I hear the shuffling of feet to my right and forced myself to swing, it was wiled but I had to get in the habit of working with what I had, and there was something coming up fast on my right.

My new lance Fafnir sang through the air and found its mark followed by a cry of pain.

_That isn't right!?_

Training dummies did cry out in pain.

MY vision caught up with my action and I stopped horrified as I saw lying sprawled out on the floor Kayaba. I dropped Fafnir and was at his site in an instant, had I killed him?

The NPC monsters the room generated only hit for one HP so it did not really hurt to get hit at all by them, I however just hit my possible boyfriend with my full strength. When I got hit the other day it hurt, truly hurt. Knowing that I felt bad and worried that I had caused some real damage to Kayaba, I was ecstatic to see him but was horrified what I had just done to him.

"Oh, my goodness! Kayaba are you ok, I'm sorry I didn't… I mean it was an accident… I was training, and I haven't seen anyone in… days. It has only been days…"

I was babbling, I was relieved, happy, scared all at the same time and my babbling was stopped by a gloved hand that covered my mouth.

"It's ok." Kayaba said reassuring me and pulling me down and embracing me into his armor plated chest. This was a new side of him I had not experienced; he was never this open with any one. "Listen to me Menally, the user functions have been restored. I'm going to log out first," he said as his hand moved from my mouth to cup my cheek and he grimaced slightly as it brushed over my cheek and the patch that was now on my right eye. "I want you to wait 5 minutes and then logout, I'll be waiting right there for you when you wake up, but I want to you to keep your eyes closed until I tell you otherwise."

His face fell as he spoke and the part of me that knew something had been wrong from the beginning was confirmed.

"Yes." I said with nod as he pulled the both of us up and I looked up at the incredulous look he was giving not me but the eye patch.

I knew that whatever had happened, my battle scar was going to follow me back to the other world.

(*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

Kayaba waited in the dark room of Menally's office. The EMT's were waiting patiently as the link light on the NervGear blinked from green, to amber then went dark. Instantly Menally's breathing picked up and her hands moved albeit sluggishly removing the NervGear. Kayaba wanted to be at her side but the EMT's were already on her helping her and lifting her to the stretcher.

The even in the dim light of the office, he could tell that her right eye was red and the blood that was dried on her face was disturbing and he could only stair at her as the paramedics worked to check her. As they wheeled her from the office he followed and even to the hospital all the time never leaving here as she assured him that everything was ok. That it would all be ok and she would be back at work in a day or so.

The paramedics predictions were confirmed when they arrived at the hospital. Menally had a massive Macroaneurysm, her eye suffered some type of trauma that caused the blood vessels to literally explode.

The doctors would simply confirm what he, the paramedics and even Menally already knew.

She would lose her right eye.

* * *

><p>EXTRAS:<p>

CALClito - He does have some uses, he can run an NPC, or at least he can make the strategy for the Blood Knights and execute orders to them that Menally issues.

Fafnir - Menally's new lance is names after a Dragon that the Norse god Odin slayed with his great sward Grin. The Lance is names for the Dragon.

* * *

><p>There you have it Menally is the first victim of SAO and it isn't even released to the public. Yes it was by human error, XD.<p>

So do I have any suggestions or thoughts about the direction the story is going or about the foot hold some of the events will have on the influences the events have on the main story after launch.

Part of me wishes I could do a companion story with this to run alongside it with the perspective of other dev's on the SAO team before the game launches. I plan on adding a few more of the dev team to the story so this is not just a with two people.

As always please review, tasteful comments please dont need flames. However constructive criticism is welcome.

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DO IT!

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please =3

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V


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